In the beginning of the story, Job is a very religious man with a beautiful family, prosperous harvests, and many servants. God notices Job's devout ways and brings this up during a discussion with Satan. Satan does not believe a man can be so good, and pressures God to challenge Job's faith. God causes Job's family to die, his livestock killed or seized by invaders, and numerous sores to open up all over Job's body. Through all of this, Job is still faithful to his God. Hearing of his misfortune, three of Job's old friends come to comfort him. One of his friends, Eliphaz of Teman, reminds Job that he often helped other people, and that now that Job has misfortune, God will help those to be healed too. Bildad of Shuah tells Job that God will not go against what is right, and that because Job has led such a blameless life, God will make Job happy again. Zophar of Naamah says that God demands too much from Job for his sinless life. Job speaks to God about the cause of his demise, and God becomes angry that Job is challenging his reasons. In the end, God is angry with Job's friends for not speaking well about him (God). God tells Job's friends to make offerings through Job for God. Job is given more fortunes and a new beautiful family from God.
A Masque of Reason
from A Masque of Reason
God is apologizing to Job for what God did to him while testing Job's faith.
Job
In this poem, Eliphaz, Zophar and Bilidad cannot believe there eyes when they see Job after his misfortune because he is completely changed mentally and physically.
Discussion Questions:
1.) What impression do you get regarding Satan based on his discussions with God? Whom do you feel is responsible for Job's suffering, Satan, God, or Job himself?
2.) What is your opinion of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar as friends? How about as advisers? Why would God criticize these men at the end of the story?
3.) What causes Job to change his mind from loving God, to wishing he had never been born and wanting to die, to worshipping God again?
4.) Why didn't Satan trust/like Job? It seemed like Satan was always trying to make Job suffer.
5.) Why in Job is Job's soul compared to "a bird upon the broken hearthstone, piping incessantly" (lines 16-17)
Supplementary Material: In A Masque of Reason, God is apologizing to Job for all the pain he caused Job. The poem Job describes Eliphaz, Bilidad and Zophar's opinions of Job when they first see him after God has tested him.
Summary:
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Summary
Discussion Questions:
1.) What impression do you get regarding Satan based on his discussions with God? Whom do you feel is responsible for Job's suffering, Satan, God, or Job himself?2.) What is your opinion of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar as friends? How about as advisers? Why would God criticize these men at the end of the story?
3.) What causes Job to change his mind from loving God, to wishing he had never been born and wanting to die, to worshipping God again?
4.) Why didn't Satan trust/like Job? It seemed like Satan was always trying to make Job suffer.
5.) Why in Job is Job's soul compared to "a bird upon the broken hearthstone, piping incessantly" (lines 16-17)
Supplementary Material: In A Masque of Reason, God is apologizing to Job for all the pain he caused Job. The poem Job describes Eliphaz, Bilidad and Zophar's opinions of Job when they first see him after God has tested him.
http://www.thebricktestament.com/job/index.html
Study Guide/Quiz Questions:
1.) Where was Job from?
2.) Who were Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bilidad?
3.) Who persuaded God to test Job's faith?
4.) Who is "they" referring to in the first line of Job?
5.) Who is God speaking to in A Masque of Reason?